Picking Sparty today. I have read some disturbing things regarding tOSU's gameplan, and I don't think they will get it done. This is the game where Jim Bollman officially announces through his gameplan that Luke Fickell will not be tOSU's head coach next year.

As I understand it, tOSU's staff (Bollman in particular) thinks that they are good enough to run the ball into stacked fronts and that is the plan this week, so tOSU is not going to let the fact that MSU will be putting 8 in the box and with a 9th cheating towards it deter it from plowing into the LOS. While it is possible that the Bucks may be able to move the ball doing so, I cannot see them winning this game 5 yards at a time. Yet again, Bollman and company has let OSU's domination of an inferior opponent skew its perception of what this team is actually capable of.

I also worry about tOSU stopping the run from the Nickel. If last week's defense was an indication of things to come, tOSU has come to the conclusion that its best defensive unit is the 4-2-5 with Moeller in the game. The Buckeyes have been hesitant to put the team in a 4-3 (read Fulton's defensive breakdown) with Klein and Sabino on the field. I really don't like tOSU against a power running game from the nickel. tOSU's lack of pass rush is problematic as well. Cousins (like Jacory Harris) folds under pressure but tOSU has been unable to get to the QB with the front four or even while blitzing, so the Bucks will be unable to capitalize on a critical vulnerability (MSU's bad OL and Cousins).

I like Sparty 24-17. Go ahead Bucks, prove me wrong.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

Not sure on the punter question. I think that when the punter goes rugby/running kick style they don't get as much benefit of the doubt on roughing calls.

So far, my pregame prediction is pretty much money. This is the worst called tOSU game I have ever seen.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

This is the worst Ohio State team that I remember. Offensively they are just not competitive. It was very nice of Fuckell to remove himself from consideration for the impending OSU coaching vacancy. Now there will be no dispute over whether or not he should be retained.

I wonder if tOSU could get VanGundy from Oklahoma St.? How about Mike Leach? I really want to see an offensive HC that will hire a bad ass DC and not butt in there.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

Guiton and Graham must be the worst players ever to get tOSU scholarships.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

Even the trash time TD is not enough to cover up the embarassment that this game was. Fire FUCKELL.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

This goes beyond the playcalling. This team cannot execute basic skills. Before anyone tells me that this team is young and that Luke Fickell got a tough draw etc., please consider the following:

When was the last time you saw an OSU team tackle this poorly?When was the last time you saw an OSU team miss this many BASIC blocking assignments?When was the last time you saw an OSU team commit this many drive killing penalties?When was the last time you saw an OSU offense field a team that was this disorganized?When was the last time you saw a well thrown ball?

This isn't about athleticism, it isn't about talent, it isn't about game planning. It is about the fundamentals. It is about basic coaching. These guys are swimming in mud. Barry Sanders or A-Pete couldn't carry this offense even if Andrew Luck was throwing to Justin Blackmon. This team is not cohesive and is unprepared to execute nearly every play.

You are also seeing an unusual breakdown in defensive fundamentals as well. The OSU team that played (with several months less practice) in the spring game would kill this team. You never really realize how important Tressel was until he was gone.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

Furls, I feel your pain. MSU ain't Wisconsin, Alabama, or LSU and they did everything they could to keep us in the game yesterday, most notably be so stubbornly PREDICTABLE. They never wavered. Any High School coach, check that any Pop Warner coach would have known they were going to load the box and force Miller to throw. Problem was we had no scheme to or strategy to counter that. ( See above posts) Miller never had a chance. Our Offensive Co-ordinator probably should recognize by now, Pryor is gone. Bauserman is in cement. Braxton needs to be in more of a spread offense look...and or yes have the screens, bubble screen, slip route, quick slants, TE drag, misdirection etc. If the light doesn't go on down there what is left of Nebraska will kill Miller next week and our old friend Bo WILL PILE ON given the opportunity.

Luke is toast. He did get dealt a short hand but no excuse to not at least have something to answer MSU's D.I am sure the return of the fab 4 will help, but I think we all know the broom has to come out. I see 47 creative exciting offenses every week by schools that could only hope to have our talent. It has gone from scary to just plain stupid.

Luke , tell the O to put in some "O" Miller has a chance to make a play in or the trip to Lincoln will make us all wish we were facing Dantonio's inept crew again.

Didn't get to this thread until well after the game, and just wanted to say how struck I was by how Furls had it fucking nailed before the game started in the original post.

I haven't had the stomach to watch the TV replay, but I saw it all from 8 rows off the south 25-yard line. Pathetic. Said pretty much what I needed to say in my game story, but thought I'd share one little anecdote from the game.

It's one of those "I know a guy who knows a guy" things, so take it FWIW...

sitting next to a 70's-ish man and his wife at the game, a man I have sat next to before more than once in these seats...he used to be associated with the program under Woody, as a student...

a family member of his is a D-1 college basketball coach in the southeast, and has come to be good friends with Billy Donovan. Donovan has told him the same thing I have heard from another source in the OSU media that I trust and respect...that one of the main reasons Urban Meyer is no longer at Florida is that he found himself unwilling to do the things a football coach needs to do to compete and succeed in the SEC...if he was to be asked to wink at what he considered cheating, he would just as soon get out.

not saying he's squeaky clean. God knows nobody is in that game...but it's the second independent, plausible source to tell me the same thing.

And not saying his health issues are made up, or not serious...just that they were just part of the decision to step down.

Heard second-hand about an on-air conversation Musburger was having with Urban and Herbstreit, which led viewers to believe Meyer may already have an offer...at one point Musburger says to Meyer after talking about his future plans, "well, whatever you decide, good luck to you."

I have no earthly idea if he wants the job, but I sure think it's his if he wants it.

"I believe it is the nature of the human species to reject what is true but unpleasant and to embrace what is obviously false but comforting." H.L. Mencken

furls wrote:As I understand it, tOSU's staff (Bollman in particular) thinks that they are good enough to run the ball into stacked fronts and that is the plan this week, so tOSU is not going to let the fact that MSU will be putting 8 in the box and with a 9th cheating towards it deter it from plowing into the LOS. While it is possible that the Bucks may be able to move the ball doing so, I cannot see them winning this game 5 yards at a time. Yet again, Bollman and company has let OSU's domination of an inferior opponent skew its perception of what this team is actually capable of.

I’m amazed at how accurate this is. I had to double check the time stamp on the post because I thought the thread may have been started late and you wrote this sarcastically at halftime or something.

Otherwise, I just want to ask can we blame Bollman on Fickell? I mean Bollman’s been a problem for years. He’s a bigger problem now because he’s sole OC, but how much of that rests on Fickell? The guy inherited a coaching staff that basically had zero offensive playcalling capability. So I guess my question is, was he permitted to change it? If they gave him the job and said, “You have to keep the staff in place”, then he was screwed before he started. Maybe he wanted to go out and hire a hotshot OC, but just wasn’t given the chance. In this case, I’m willing to give Fickell a little more rope because I think our D, clearly his focus, has been pretty good this year [with the notable exception of a couple series in Miami]. Even saturday, playing mostly on their side of the field and without one of their best players, they managed to only give up 10 points. Yeah, they're not the best defense we’ve ever had, but they’re young and they’re improving. They’re certainly competent, at least, which is light years ahead of the offense. And I think Fickell’s probably got a lot to do with this.

On the other hand, if Fickell had the option and chose to keep Bollman on the staff, that’s pretty much unacceptable. Everybody on these boards knew Bollman would suck at it, he should have too. Tressel may have been able to keep his buddies employed, but Fickell can’t swing it, and you don’t get a re-do on that.

Lastly, I’d just like to point out: I know the 2 NC forgive a lot, but I watch a lot of Gator games, and last years offense, with Urban Meyer, was every bit as bad as what you’re watching from the Buckeyes. Just horrible. I know Meyer may have not been fully engaged and yada, yada, yada, but it bears mentioning.

furls wrote:As I understand it, tOSU's staff (Bollman in particular) thinks that they are good enough to run the ball into stacked fronts and that is the plan this week, so tOSU is not going to let the fact that MSU will be putting 8 in the box and with a 9th cheating towards it deter it from plowing into the LOS. While it is possible that the Bucks may be able to move the ball doing so, I cannot see them winning this game 5 yards at a time. Yet again, Bollman and company has let OSU's domination of an inferior opponent skew its perception of what this team is actually capable of.

I’m amazed at how accurate this is. I had to double check the time stamp on the post because I thought the thread may have been started late and you wrote this sarcastically at halftime or something.

Otherwise, I just want to ask can we blame Bollman on Fickell? I mean Bollman’s been a problem for years. He’s a bigger problem now because he’s sole OC, but how much of that rests on Fickell? The guy inherited a coaching staff that basically had zero offensive playcalling capability. So I guess my question is, was he permitted to change it? If they gave him the job and said, “You have to keep the staff in place”, then he was screwed before he started. Maybe he wanted to go out and hire a hotshot OC, but just wasn’t given the chance. In this case, I’m willing to give Fickell a little more rope because I think our D, clearly his focus, has been pretty good this year [with the notable exception of a couple series in Miami]. Even saturday, playing mostly on their side of the field and without one of their best players, they managed to only give up 10 points. Yeah, they're not the best defense we’ve ever had, but they’re young and they’re improving. They’re certainly competent, at least, which is light years ahead of the offense. And I think Fickell’s probably got a lot to do with this.

On the other hand, if Fickell had the option and chose to keep Bollman on the staff, that’s pretty much unacceptable. Everybody on these boards knew Bollman would suck at it, he should have too. Tressel may have been able to keep his buddies employed, but Fickell can’t swing it, and you don’t get a re-do on that.

Lastly, I’d just like to point out: I know the 2 NC forgive a lot, but I watch a lot of Gator games, and last years offense, with Urban Meyer, was every bit as bad as what you’re watching from the Buckeyes. Just horrible. I know Meyer may have not been fully engaged and yada, yada, yada, but it bears mentioning.

SD:

The College spread is a fad like the Wishbone which will come and go , you want to rebuild tOSU , grab someone who will institute a Pro set like USC or a meat grinder like Alabama , week after week year after year competitive football will ensue and we will attract the athletes who are now spurning our amateur rank poo butt sorry asses .

Watch LSU and Bama their level of athlete is as far above what tOSU is now fielding as division 1A football vs a 5 AAAAAA Catholic recruiting machine .

Agree with the others giving props to Furls , his pregame was more accurate than the post game epitaph.

I have no problem giving Fickell grief about the offense. He is the HEAD FUCKING COACH. The difference between a coordinator and a HC is that the HC is responsible for everything that happens (or fails to happen on the field) on both sides of the ball. If he is unprepared to make some halftime adjustments (or at least discuss them with the OC) then he is unprepared to be a HC.

Granted most coaches specialize on one side of the ball, but that still doesn't absolve them from responsibility for the other side of the ball.

Thanks for the props on the pregame. It is the first time I have been right about this team all year, unfortunately. Sadly, I have unfavorable predictions for this next week's gameplan... Ill post them in the game thread.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

Right on Furls. Luke is all about the "D", but as interim HC I would touch base with OC in at least a brief conversation something like,

Luke: " Hey, Bolls we all set for Dantonio's loading the box run blitz every play?"

Bolls: " Yea man, going to run into the their teeth, keep the old "O" in, try not to put Miller in a position to best use his talents. Maybe try to beat them with long developing pass plays, frosh receivers, nothing too tricky... we will wear them down. Those 24 Ohio kids on their roster we didn't recruit playing with rage....no problem."

Luke: " That's all good, cause I'm sure we can hold them to 10 points."

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.